Global Awareness Flashcards
Name all of the continents.
Africa, Antarctica, Asia, North America, South America, Europe, Australia/Oceania
Which continent is comprised of 54 countries?
Africa
The _____ River is the longest river in the world and runs along the northeast side of the continent.
Nile / Africa
Which continent is the southernmost landmass on Earth, the least populated and coldest?
Antarctica
Which continent is comprised of 48 countries?
Asia
With roughly 60% of the world’s population this continent plays a vital part in the world’s economy.
Asia
Which continent contains some of the oldest civilizations
Asia
Smallest, most isolated and remote continent.
Australia/Oceania
Comprised of Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, and thousands of coral atolls and volcanic islands throughout the Central and South Pacific Ocean.
Australia/Oceania
Western portion of the Eurasian landmass.
One of the smallest, most densely populated.
Europe
Comprised of roughly 51 countries/territories.
Europe
Second in both population and size. and recognized as the birthplace of humankind?
Africa
Which continent is the largest and most populated?
Asia
Contained entirely in the northern hemisphere…
North American Continent
Contains 23 independent countries to include Greenland, Mexico, and Central America.
North American Continent
Name the continents largest to smallest.
Asia, Africa, North American, South America, Antarctica, Europe, Australia/Oceania
Comprised of 12 countries with Brazil being the largest in landmass and population.
South American Continent
Located in the southern hemisphere.
South American Continent
Home to an incredible biodiversity, from the Andes Mountains to the Amazon River.
South American Continent
Name the number of countries:
Africa Asia Europe North America South America
Africa - 54 Asia - 48 Europe - 51 North America - 23 South America - 12
Name all the oceans
Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, Indian and Southern
Smallest and shallowest of the oceans.
Arctic
Which ocean is a mass of ice
most of the year?
Arctic
Which ocean includes the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Baltic Seas, and the Gulf of Mexico?
Atlantic
Second largest ocean.
Atlantic
Which ocean runs up to the western shores of Europe and Africa.
Atlantic
The largest of the oceans.
Pacific
Which ocean runs up to the eastern coastlines of Asia and Australia
Pacific
Which ocean resides between the eastern coast of Africa and the shores of the Middle East and India
Indian
Which ocean is rich in exotic plant and animal species
Indian
Until ______, the waters surrounding Antarctica were considered extensions of the adjoining oceans.
2000
Boundaries of this ocean have yet to be solidified, but generally, any waters below __ degrees latitude is considered the _________ Ocean.
60 / Southern
Roughly __% of the earth’s surface is covered by water, __% of that being salt water.
70 / 96
Because the amount of water is finite and is essential for survival, water has a tremendous impact on society. With ___ billion people spread across ___ countries on seven continents, there is no shortage of crisis and conflict.
7.5 / 195
The Area of Responsibility (AOR) for ______________ includes the continental US, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, and the surrounding waters.
USNORTHCOM
Which AOR includes Central America, South America, and the Caribbean Sea?
USSOUTHCOM
Which AOR includes Africa but NOT Egypt?
USAFRICOM
Which AOR includes Europe and parts of the Middle East and Eurasia?
USEUCOM
Egypt is in what AOR?
USCENTCOM
Which AOR includes 20 nations in the “center” area of the globe?
USCENTCOM
Which AOR includes China, India, North Korea, and other countries with the Asian-Pacific Region.?
USINDOPACOM
Northernmost country in the
world
Canada
Which country is bordered
by Belize and Guatemala to the
southeast?
Mexico
Canada
Ottawa
Mexico
Mexico City
Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama
Central America
Colombia
Bogota
Borders the Caribbean Sea,
Between Panama and Venezuela. It also
borders the North Pacific Ocean, between
Ecuador and Panama.
Colombia
_____ was the oldest and largest group among Colombia’s
left-wing rebels and one of the world’s richest guerrilla armies.
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
On 16 September 2016, the Colombian government and the FARC signed a historic peace accord, ending ____ years of armed conflict
52
Venezuela
Caracas
What country is in Northern South America, bordering the
Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Colombia and Guyana?
Venezuela
_________ has some of the world’s largest oil deposits as
well as huge quantities of coal, iron ore, bauxite (the
primary ore for aluminum), and gold.
(Political turmoil and tense relationship with the United
States.)
Venezuela
_______ has 25 sovereign states/dependent nations
Caribbean Sea (In USSOUTHCOM)
Cuba
Havana
Location – 90 miles off the coast of Florida in the northern Caribbean at the confluence of the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of
Mexico and Atlantic Ocean.
Cuba
Cuba’s ___________, is a naval base that has been leased by the United States since 1903, a lease that has been contested since 1960.
Guantánamo Bay
Djibouti
Djibouti
Location – Eastern Africa, borders Gulf of Aden and Red Sea.
Djibouti
_________ occupies a strategic geographic
location at the mouth of the Red Sea and
serves as an important transshipment
location for goods entering and leaving the
east African highlands.
Djibouti
The U.S. sponsored base located near the capital in ________ serves as a crucial staging point for counter insurgency (COIN) operations throughout the African continent and Middle East regions.
Djibouti
Holds longstanding ties to France (was formerly the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas).
Djibouti
Libya
Tripoli
Location – Northern Africa, borders Mediterranean Sea between Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria.
Libya
The government is still transitioning from a socialist regime governed by Islamic law here….
Libya
Since the 2011 _________ civil war, (uprising and ousting of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi) , the Transitional National Council has led the country. The country is still struggling to establish a legitimate ruling body.
Libyan
__________ was ousted and killed. He ruled Libya from 1969 (after a military coup d’état) until 2011.
Colonel Muammar Gaddafi
Gaddafi was a sponsor of terrorism and was linked to the 21 December 1988 hijacking and bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie __________.
Scotland
Mali
Bamako
Location – Interior western Africa, southwest of Algeria,
north of Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso and west of
Niger.
Mali
Several Islamic Terror Groups operate in ______ northern area. These groups continually attempt to overthrow government and push out western influence.
Mali’s
______ is amongst the 25 poorest countries in the World.
Mali
Over 90% of Mali is what religion? (predominately ______).
Muslim / Sunni
In 2017, the ______________________ was able to launch an assault on U.S. Special Forces on the Mali-Niger border, which resulted in four U.S. soldiers killed in action.
Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS)
Nigeria
Abuja
Location – Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon.
Nigeria
The Islamic extremist group, ______________, operates primarily from Nigeria. ______________, usually translated as ‘Western Education is forbidden’, was founded in 2002 in opposition to the westernization of Nigerian society.
Boko Haram / Boko Haram
In 2009, _____________ launched a military campaign to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria.
Boko Haram
In 2014, _____________ kidnaped 276 schoolgirls and forced them into hard labor and sex-trafficking.
Boko Haram
Nigeria has deep religious and economic divides, split roughly in half between ____________ in the south (more wealthy) and _____________ north (significantly under developed and under represented by comparison).
Christianity / Islam
Somalia
Mogadishu
Location – Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia.
Somalia
Al-Qaeda-aligned __________ insurgents continue to be a challenge to the fledgling government in Somalia.
Al-Shabab
Al-Shabaab is a terrorist organization that is rooted in ____________. They are not centralized in their agenda or goals and often fall victim to inter-clan politics.
Somalia
___________ largest incident to date is an attack on the Westgate Shopping Mall on 21 Sep 2013 in Nairobi, ________, which killed 67 people and resulted in a siege that lasted several days.
Al-Shabaab’s / Kenya
Name the terrorist group:
Somalia Nigeria Colombia Mali Libya Syria Iran Lebanon Yemen
Somalia- Al-Shabab (Al-Qaeda-aligned) Nigeria - Boko Haram Columbia - Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) Mali - Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) Libya - Gaddafi Syria - Bashar al-Assad Iran - Hezbollah Lebanon - Hezbollah Yemen - Houthi
Israel
Jerusalem
Location – on the eastern shore of the
Mediterranean Sea; bordered by the
countries of Lebanon and Syria to the north, Jordan to the east, and Egypt to the south.
Israel
Since its creation in 1948, has remained in conflict with Palestinians and Arab neighbors over ownership of land that is considered holy by many Jews
Israel
Has occupied the West Bank (western bank of the Jordan River) and Golan Heights region of Syria since the 1967 Six-Day War
Israel
Following WWII Britain withdrew from Palestine and the UN proposed dividing the area into Arab and Jewish states. Although the Arabs rejected the arrangement, _____ was declared a state in 1948.
Israel
1962 – Growing concerns over Middle Eastern balance of power prompts the U.S. to sell missiles to ________, sales increased after 1966 when France ceased supplying them with arms.
Israel,
Russia
Moscow
Location – North Asia, bordering the Arctic Ocean, extending from Europe to the North Pacific Ocean
Russia
__________ is the largest country on earth in terms of surface area
and has vast amounts of natural oil and gas.
Russia
In 2014, Russia seizes Ukrainian region of ________, prompting the biggest East-West showdown since the Cold
War.
Crimea
In 2015, _____ begins armed intervention in Syria to support ally President _________.
Russia / Bashar al-Assad
Ukraine
Kiev
Location – Eastern Europe bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east.
Ukraine
Following the fall of the Soviet Union, ___________ wins independence from Russia and the ethnic Russian Crimea remains part of _________; however, an agreement between Russia and ___________ allows the Russian Black Sea Fleet to remain in Sevastopol.
Ukraine / Ukraine / Ukraine
In March 2014, Russia invades most of the area known as ___________. Russia annexed ___________ and the city of Sevastopol as federal subjects of Russia.
Crimea / Crimea
Ukraine continues to claim Crimea as a part of its territory, which is supported by most governments and the ____________.
United Nations
The territory of present-day Ukraine was a key center of _________ culture in the middle ages. Since that time, it has been ruled in whole or in part by a variety of powers, notably Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Austria, Romania, and the Ottoman Empire.
East Slavic
In 1986, the ____________ nuclear power station explodes; a huge concrete cover was hastily erected in an attempt to contain the damaged reactor.
Chernobyl
In 2000, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is shut down, 14 years after the accident. Over ________ people died as a result of the accident and millions more have health related issues.
10,000
In November 2016, a new shelter is put in place over the _________ reactor in an attempt to prevent radiation leaks from the aging concrete sarcophagus that was erected after the meltdown.
Chernobyl
Turkey
Ankara
Location – Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, also borders the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas.
Turkey
_________ serves as a key U.S. ally in the Middle Eastern/European region. Its geographic location is
strategic due to its borders with Middle Eastern and European countries.
Turkey
Since 2015, ________ has witnessed an uptick in terrorist violence. On 15 July 2016, elements of the __________ staged a failed coup, which led to ________ Government authorities arresting, suspending, or dismissing more than 100,000 personnel alleged to be connected to the attempted coup.
Turkey / Turkish Armed forces / Turkish
Because of its position straddling the continents of Europe and Asia in addition to being surrounded by three seas, it has been a historical crossroads; the homeland of and battleground between great civilizations, and a center of commerce.
Turkey
On 16 April 2017, the _________ Government conducted a referendum that, once implemented, will change _______ from a parliamentary to a presidential system.
Turkish / Turkey
Afghanistan
Kabul
Location –Central Asia on the fringes of southern Asia and often considered part of the Middle East. Is bordered by Iran
to the west and Pakistan to the south and
east.
Afghanistan
In 2001, the United States and coalition partners began conducting combat and nation building operations in Afghanistan under _____________________.
Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF)
Once seen as a buffer between the great powers of Russia and Great Britain, ___________ is now a mountain stronghold for Islamic extremists and worldwide terrorist organizations.
Afghanistan
Country faced many challenges:
a. Global war on terrorism
b. Changeover from an extremely profitable poppy cultivation to a less profitable non-narcotic cultivation
c. Constant threat of civil war between ethnic and tribal factions.
Afghanistan
1979 - Soviet Army invaded __________ to support the fledgling communist government, more than one million people die in the decade-long war.
Afghanistan
1989 – U.S./Pakistan-backed _________ push to overthrow Soviet-installed Afghan rule which triggers a civil war in Afghanistan.
mujahedeen
1996 - Taliban seizes control of ________, Afghanistan and imposes hardline version of Islam.
Kabul
2001 – U.S. forces oust the _________ during OEF following September 11, 2001 attacks.
Taliban
2002 - ______ assumes responsibility to maintain security in Afghanistan.
NATO
2014 - NATO ends combat missions in Afghanistan and hands control over to _______________.
Afghan forces
Egypt
Cairo
Location - Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula.
Egypt
Egypt’s strategic location, controlling the ___________, guarantees it a vital role in regional geopolitics and the attention of the West.
Suez Canal
The principal internal threat to Egypt comes from anti-state _________ violence.
Islamist
Inspired by the 2010 Tunisian revolution, Egyptian opposition groups led demonstrations and labor strikes countrywide ultimately leading to the ousting of their longstanding president, Hosni _________, in 2011.
Mubarak
________ is the largest Arab country and in modern times has played a central role in Middle Eastern politics. Since the 1970s, _______ has attempted to maintain cordial relations with both Arab and Western worlds.
Egypt / Egypt
Iran
Tehran
Location - Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian/Arabian Gulf and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan.
Iran
_______ has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for its
activities in Lebanon with the Shia Islamist group Hezbollah. Country has continued to pursue nuclear ambitions.
Iran
Known as Persia until 1935, _____ became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and clerics assumed political control under supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini.
Iran
_________ was once one of the greatest empires of the ancient world. Today, Iran has maintained its cultural identity within the Islamic world by retaining its own language (_______) and adhering to the ______ interpretation of Islam.
Persia / Persian / Shia
Iraq war raged between 1980 and 1988. During that time, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein launched numerous chemical weapons attacks against ________, killing roughly 30,000 personnel and leaving nearly 60,000 veterans with permanent disabilities and residual health concerns.
Iran
Iraq
Baghdad
Location - Middle East, bordering the Persian/Arabian
Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait.
Iraq
Since March 2003 – The U.S.-led invasion in Iraq topples _______________’s government, marking the start of years of violent conflict as different groups compete for power.
Saddam Hussein
Which country hosts three of the most important religious sites in _______ Islam.
a The Sacred Mosque of Imam Ali.
b The Mosque of Imam Hussein.
c The Mosque of Imam Abbas.
Shia / Iraq
1979 – _______________ becomes president of Iraq.
Saddam Hussein
1980-1988 – Iran/Iraq war.
1980-1988 – Iran/Iraq war.
1990 - Iraq invades _________, prompts U.S.-led military campaign known as the first Gulf War.
Kuwait
December 2006 – ______________ is executed for crimes against humanity.
Saddam Hussein
June 2009 – U.S. withdraws troops from Iraq and hands security duties over to _________.
Iraqi forces
Lebanon
Beirut
Location - Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria.
Lebanon
Location - Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria.
Lebanon
____________ is a Lebanon-based Shia terrorist group. The group
is anti-US and responsible for famous attacks such as the
bombing of the U.S. Embassy (1983/1984), the hijacking of TWA flight 847 (1985) and the Khobar Towers bombing
(1996).
Hezbollah
Hezbollah and _______ continue to attack and counter attack each other.
Israel
Pakistan
Islamabad
Location - Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between
India on the east, Iran and Afghanistan on the west, and China in
the north.
Pakistan
Territory of ___________ has been a source of conflict between
India and Pakistan since 1948; several agreements have been
signed to ease tensions. Physical and verbal skirmishes still continue.
Kashmir
1998 – __________ conducts nuclear tests after India explodes nuclear devices.
Pakistan
In 1947, at the end of British rule in ______, the Muslim states of East and West Pakistan were created out of a partition of ______. This was to support the idea of a separate nation for the Muslims of ______.
India / India / India
1971 – East Pakistan, with the help of India, breaks away and becomes the country of ____________
Bangladesh
1972 – The __________ for Kashmir was established.
Line of Control
April 2011 – Osama bin Laden is killed in ____________, Pakistan.
Abbottabad
Qatar
Doha
Location – Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia.
Qatar
June 2017 – ____________ leads an air, land, and sea blockade by
Arab countries in an attempt to get Qatar to cut alleged connections with terrorism and to distance itself from Iran.
Saudi Arabia
_________ and the United States coordinate closely on Middle East diplomatic initiatives and security. _________ hosts 10,000 U.S. troops and has played a role in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Qatar / Qatar
_____________ became an independent state in September 1971 declining to
become part of the United Arab Emirates or of Saudi Arabia. Once one of the poorest Gulf States, it is now one of the richest countries in the region.
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Riyadh
Location – Middle East, north of Yemen, bordering the Persian/Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea.
Saudi Arabia
Which country has stature in the Arab world based on prestige as the custodian of the birthplace of Islam.
Saudi Arabia
Colossus status as an oil producer (a quarter of the world’s proven reserves is found under its deserts).
Saudi Arabia
What country is called “the land of the two holy mosques,” and name them. (Well known for its promotion of a puritan version of Sunni Islam.)
Saudi Arabia / Mecca and Medin
Syria
Damascus
Location – Middle East, between Lebanon and Turkey,
bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Southwest border with Israel (Golan Heights) is disputed, Israel claims to have annexed area.
Syria
Since 2011, the political power held by the mainly Alawite (Shia) elite in Syria has been contested in a bitter civil conflict sparked by the “___________” uprising.
Arab Spring
Yemen
Sanaa
Location – Middle East, between Oman and Saudi Arabia bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.
Yemen
This country has become a base for militant groups (i.e. al-Qaeda and the Islamic State), which only adds to the instability of the country.
Yemen
2015 - Civil war between _______ rebels and the Yemen government. Civil war continues to rage despite peace initiatives.
Houthi
China
Beijing
Location - Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and
South China Sea between North Korea and Vietnam.
China
Founded in 1949 after the Communist Party defeated the nationalist Kuomintang (who retreated to Taiwan) thus creating two rival Chinese states:
1 People’s Republic of China - Mainland China
2 Republic of China – Taiwan
1) The world’s most populous country.
2) Second largest economy.
3) Growing military power.
4) Strong regional power.
5) South China Sea territorial claims.
China
Population of 1.38 billion as of 2017. 1 in 5 people live in _______.
China
Culture stretches back nearly 4,000 years and originated many of the foundations of the modern world.
China
_______ claims territory that is also claimed by U.S. allies including South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines.
China
August 2005 – _________ and Russia hold first joint military exercises.
PRC - Peoples Republic of China
January 2007 – Which country carried out missile test in space, shot down old weather satellite.
China
2012 – Which country launches first carrier, a converted former Soviet vessel.
China
India
New Delhi
Location – Southern Asia, between Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) and Pakistan bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
India
Issues and concerns:
1) Is a nuclear-armed state.
2) Territory of Kashmir has been a source of conflict between ______ and Pakistan. Physical and verbal skirmishes continue.
India
Second most populous country (1.28 billion as of 2017), but the UN estimates it will overtake China in population by 2028.
India
1947 – What country is split into two nations, both gained independence? – Hindu-majority _______ and Muslim-controlled ________.
India / India / Pakistan
North Korea
Pyongyang
Location - Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean
Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan,
between China and South Korea.
North Korea
Issues and concerns:
1) One of the world’s most secretive societies and one of the few still under nominally communist rule.
2) Nuclear ambitions.
3) The development of intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of hitting the US.
4) Short and medium range missiles that could reach Japan or South Korea and their continued reckless testing of these weapons.
North Korea
1905 - ______ occupies Korea following the Russo-Japanese War until Japan’s 1945 surrender.
Japan
1948 - After the chaos of WWII, Korean Peninsula divided between the _______- sponsored communist North and the ___-backed South.
Soviet / US
1985 – Joins international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, barring the production of nuclear weapons.
North Korea
April 1996 – Announces it will no longer honor the armistice that ended the Korean war; sends thousands of troops to the ______.
North Korea / DMZ
1998 – Launch of multi-stage long-range rocket; flies over Japan and lands in ______________, well beyond their known capability.
North Korea / Pacific Ocean
May 2003 – Withdraws from 1992 agreement with South Korea to keep peninsula nuclear weapons free.
North Korea
September 2013 – China bans export of items to _______ that could be used to make missiles or nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons.
DPRK
Two _____________ found in the South Korea, sparking concerns over their intelligence gathering capabilities.
DPRK drones
DPRK and the U.S. exchange accusations of _________________ over “The Interview” a Sony Pictures film mocking Kim Jong-un (KJU); prompts new U.S. sanctions.
cyber-attacks
January 2016 – DPRK announces first _______________ test; experts are skeptical.
hydrogen bomb
2018/2019 – In 2018 ______________ met with North Korean Supreme Leader _____________ in Singapore, in the first summit between the United States and North Korea. They signed a joint statement, agreeing to security guarantees for North Korea, new peaceful relations, reaffirmation of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and the recovery of soldiers’ remains. A second summit in 2019, ended without a signed agreement.
President Trump / Kim Jong-un
